


You didn't know

by pinkamour1588



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Death, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 09:30:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15603387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkamour1588/pseuds/pinkamour1588
Summary: For Leonard, some bad days at work are worse than others.





	You didn't know

“Bones? Are you home? Kate said you had to leave the clinic early,” Jim called through their shared quarters as he walked in.

Leonard froze as he heard Jim’s footsteps approach.

“Hey, you alright?” Jim asked softly when he saw Leonard sitting on the bed curled up as much as he could be.

Leonard didn’t move an inch as if he stayed perfectly still Jim wouldn’t be able to see him.

“Bones, what’s going on?” Jim toed off his boots and got onto the bed.

“I didn’t do enough. I could’ve done better,” Leonard whispered blinking back tears.

“What’re you talking about?”

“Patient. I didn’t do enough for her.”

Jim let out a soft sigh as he moved closer and placed his hand on Leonard’s shoulder, rubbing it gently. “I’m sure you did everything you could.”

“No. I didn’t.” He pulled away from Jim’s touch. “I could’ve prevented it. Dammit. She was a single mother. Her kid has no one now.”

“Bones…”

“No, Jim. Just no. I could’ve done better. I should’ve done better. I should’ve been more adamant about her wearing the compression stockings.”

“Leonard…”

“It was so easily preventable…”

“Dammit, Leonard, let me speak.”

Leonard looked at him, eyes red from crying and lips chapped from dehydration.

“Once you realized something was wrong, you did everything you could to fix it, yes?”

Leonard nodded.

“Then tell me how you didn’t do your best.”

“I didn’t do everything I could to prevent it.”

“You told her to wear the socks.”

“Stockings, and yes. But I should’ve made sure she put them on. Jim, it was such an easy fix and now her kid’s alone.”

Jim stared back at Leonard for a few moments, already feeling like they were going in circles with the discussion. “What can I do?”

“What?”

“What do you want me to say or do to make you feel better?”

“There’s nothing to be said or done. She’s dead, Jim.”

“So, silence?”

“Yeah,” Leonard nodded.

Jim gave him a small smile and moved to sit with his back against the headboard.

“I told her son she would be alright after surgery. He’s six. I lied to him. And now he’s alone. I stuck around until the social worker got there ‘cause I had to talk to him, but after that, I just left. She came out of surgery perfectly. High heart rate but nothing abnormal. And then later, it wasn’t coming down and she was uncomfortable and couldn’t breathe. Left to get a scan and when I came back, they were coding her. And it was too late. And it was such a simple thing that could’ve prevented it,” Leonard said after about fifteen minutes of silence. When Jim didn’t respond, the looked over at the blond over his shoulder, sure that he would find him asleep.

“I’m listening,” Jim nodded smiling at Leonard.

“I didn’t bore you to sleep?”

Jim laughed. “Tell me the details of an operation and I will be.”

“Good to know. I get tired of your late-night ramblings sometimes.” Leonard moved up to sit next to Jim.

“You love them.” Jim nudged Leonard’s side with his elbow.

“You? Yes. Your talking at two in the morning? Not so much.”

“The two a.m. ramblings are part of this wonderful package deal.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like every part.”

“That’s mean.”

Leonard rolled his eyes. “When did I ever claim to be nice?”

“Pretty sure the day you married me.”

“I don’t recall that being one of my vows.”

“It was implied in the ‘marrying me’ part.”

“Remind me again why I did that?”

“Because I’m lovely.”

“Yes, you’re very pretty,” Leonard laughed and leaned against Jim, resting his head on the blond’s shoulder.

“I’ll take it,” Jim said after a minute shrugging one shoulder before grabbing his PADD off his nightstand and pulling up an old movie on it.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://pinkamour1588.tumblr.com)


End file.
